The Great Crane Projecthttp://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk
enEnd of the road for Timitoohttp://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/blogs/damon-bridge/end-road-timitoo-0
<p>Some sad news I'm afraid.</p>
<p>The young crane that was caught and colour ringed White Black Green on 26th July, and nicknamed 'Timitoo' has been found dead.</p>
<p>It was quickly back with its parents, Timmy and Michaela, and was captured on a trail camera at dawn on 28th July and then again on 29th.&nbsp; See below...</p>
<p><img src="http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/medium-300x200/Timitoo_1.jpg" alt="" class="imagecache-medium-300x200" width="300" height="225" />&nbsp;Timitoo captured on trail-cam 28th July closely followed by...</p>
<p><img src="http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/medium-300x200/Michaela_0.jpg" alt="" class="imagecache-medium-300x200" width="300" height="225" />&nbsp;Male parent Timmy - ringed Red Black White.</p>
<p>However, from 1st August the parents were observed a couple of times on their own and the chick was not obvious... so the monitoring team used the radio tracker to located the bird (picking up the signal from the radio tag fitted during the ringing process) and were led to the roost area where we know this pair had been spending the hours of darkness.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Wading out to small island,&nbsp; they discovered the remains shown below.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/medium-300x200/Timitoo%20Remains%201_0.jpg" alt="" class="imagecache-medium-300x200" width="300" height="169" />&nbsp;Remains of Timitoo - August 6th 2018</p>
<p>It is not clear how or why this bird died.&nbsp; Perhaps it picked up a disease or injury and then died at the roost - or perhaps it was attacked by a predator, made its way back, injured, to the roost and then died.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The only good news is that this pair - Timmy and Michaela successfully fledged 2 chicks in 2017 (although one of these was later lost, post fledging) and we are sure they will be back to try again in 2019.</p>
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<div class="nodeauthor-info"><span>About the author</span><div class="nodeauthor-pic"><img src="http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/sites/default/files/pictures/picture-2.jpg" alt="User picture" /></div> <p>Damon’s role is to act as the hub of the project - making sure everyone involved knows what is going on and that it is all running smoothly. He is also responsible for project community awareness work in Somerset, construction of the release enclosure, and running the post release monitoring work in Somerset. &nbsp;Damon works alongside the RSPB reserve teams in Somerset.</p>
</div>cranesSomersetWed, 08 Aug 2018 09:03:42 +0000Damon Bridge1000 at http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.ukThe youngest of the bunchhttp://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/blogs/damon-bridge/youngest-bunch
<p><img class="imagecache-medium-300x200" alt="" src="http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/medium-300x200/Timitoo.jpg" width="287" height="363" />&nbsp; <br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: "Lucida Grande", Lucida, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;'>This is youngest of the Somerset hatched chicks this year, caught and colour ringed this morning so we can monitor the second generation.&nbsp; &nbsp;Ringed White Black Green and nicknamed 'Timitoo' (father Timmy, mother Michaela).&nbsp; It has another 3 weeks until fledging so the team are keeping everything crossed.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: "Lucida Grande", Lucida, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;'>Photo by Robin Morrison - Thanks Robin! </span></p>
<p><span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: "Lucida Grande", Lucida, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;'><br /></span></p>
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<div class="nodeauthor-info"><span>About the author</span><div class="nodeauthor-pic"><img src="http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/sites/default/files/pictures/picture-2.jpg" alt="User picture" /></div> <p>Damon’s role is to act as the hub of the project - making sure everyone involved knows what is going on and that it is all running smoothly. He is also responsible for project community awareness work in Somerset, construction of the release enclosure, and running the post release monitoring work in Somerset. &nbsp;Damon works alongside the RSPB reserve teams in Somerset.</p>
</div>crane catchingcranesSomersetThu, 26 Jul 2018 08:18:36 +0000Damon Bridge997 at http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.ukBaby's first footprintshttp://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/blogs/damon-bridge/babys-first-footprints
<p><img title="crane prints" class="imagecache-medium-300x200" alt="crane prints" src="http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/medium-300x200/Crane%20footprints%20reduced.jpg" width="300" height="225" />&nbsp;Parent and baby crane footprints - 10th July 2018</p>
<p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: "Lucida Grande", Lucida, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;'>Lovely to see this - proof of hatching success for one of the Somerset pairs of cranes with the young crane's footprints alongside the parents.&nbsp; &nbsp; A number of Great Crane Project birds are busy chick rearing at the moment, with the first fledging imminent.&nbsp; &nbsp; Other pairs have only just hatched so we won't be able to give a full account of this year's breeding until much later in the summer / early autumn.&nbsp; &nbsp;We do know that we had over 20 pairs of birds this year, 19 of which have been confirmed as breeding, which is much better than last year, when the dry weather saw only 10 breeding attempts made.&nbsp; Hatching success has been be good this year too - so keeping everthing crossed for the young birds now as they grow over the first, really critical and dangerous first 10 weeks of their life without the power of flight!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p>
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</div>cranesSomersetWed, 11 Jul 2018 09:22:10 +0000Damon Bridge995 at http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.ukA Bird's eye viewhttp://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/blogs/damon-bridge/birds-eye-view
<p>Thought it timely for an update!</p>
<p>&nbsp;<img src="http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/large-450x300/Crane%20walking%20back%20to%20nest%201%20-%20Copy.jpg" alt="" class="imagecache-large-450x300" width="450" height="289" /></p>
<p><strong>Adult crane walking back to it's nest on 5th June.&nbsp; (if you look closely you can see 2 eggs!)</strong></p>
<p>We had a quick check of a nesting location earlier this week that has been impossible to view into on account of the flat landscape and tall vegetation using a drone.&nbsp; &nbsp;You can see the crane walking back to the nest following a change-over with its partner - so breeding was confirmed.&nbsp; &nbsp; We were incredibly careful to keep a good distance up so as to cause no kind of disturbance to the birds.&nbsp; &nbsp;Used appropriately and under licence,&nbsp; drones are proving incredibly useful tools for conservation monitoring.</p>
<p>So a quick update of this season so far...</p>
<p>In total 18 crane project pairs have made breeding attempts this year (cf 10 in 2017 and 15 in 2016) with 11 going on to hatch (cf 7 in 2017 and 5 in 2016), and 5 more are still incubating.</p>
<p>9 of these 11 pairs are currently chick-rearing - some of these are experienced pairs, others are first time mums and dads!&nbsp;</p>
<p>11 of the 18 pairs are on the Somerset Levels and Moors; 5 in Gloucestershire centred around WWT Slimbridge; one pair are in Oxfordshire, and one in Gwent.&nbsp; A further three pairs have held territories but have not made breeding attempts this year (as far as we know so far...)</p>
<p>These figures will be verified and made official a little later in the year as there are still a couple of question marks... and of course lots of fledging to happen first.&nbsp; &nbsp;Crane chicks take from 8-10wks to fledge to there's quite a long way to go still until we will know if there has been any increase on last year's total of 4 fledged.</p>
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</div>cranesSomersetThu, 07 Jun 2018 14:41:15 +0000Damon Bridge994 at http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk2018 Crane breeding season http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/blogs/liz-antliff-clark/2018-crane-breeding-season
<p>Great excitement here in Somerset!&nbsp; At last Spring has arrived and our cranes are busy finding territory and preparing to nest. A few pairs are already sitting.&nbsp; The&nbsp;persistent winter left many possible nest sites flooded so&nbsp;a late start was inevitable but since Easter the birds have been making up for lost time. It should be a good year and we are keeping everything 'crossed' for them.&nbsp; The photo is of one pair calling together in their territory.</p>
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Somerset cranesSat, 21 Apr 2018 07:21:56 +0000Liz Antliff-Clark993 at http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk2017 Annual Report now available to readhttp://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/blogs/damon-bridge/2017-annual-report-now-available-read
<p>Follow the link <a href="http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/news/annual-reports">HERE</a> &nbsp;to read the report on the 2017 year.</p>
<p>Huge thanks to Liz Antliff-Clark, a volunteer with the RSPB, who put so much time into compiling this for the project.</p>
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<div class="nodeauthor-info"><span>About the author</span><div class="nodeauthor-pic"><img src="http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/sites/default/files/pictures/picture-2.jpg" alt="User picture" /></div> <p>Damon’s role is to act as the hub of the project - making sure everyone involved knows what is going on and that it is all running smoothly. He is also responsible for project community awareness work in Somerset, construction of the release enclosure, and running the post release monitoring work in Somerset. &nbsp;Damon works alongside the RSPB reserve teams in Somerset.</p>
</div>cranesSomersetThu, 01 Feb 2018 12:29:03 +0000Damon Bridge981 at http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.ukBBC Countryfile - did you miss it?http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/blogs/damon-bridge/bbc-countryfile-did-you-miss-it
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<p><img src="http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/medium-300x200/All%20Saints%20Echo-Maker3.jpg" alt="" class="imagecache-medium-300x200" width="300" height="225" />&nbsp; Image from 'Echomaker'. &nbsp;</p>
<p>Brilliant to see the cranes, &nbsp;a few of the RSPB's Somerset crane volunteers, the artist Sean Harris and his <a style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #75a533;" href="http://somersetartworks.org.uk/" target="_blank">Somerset Art Works</a>&nbsp;commissioned <a href="https://cranesandcommunities.wordpress.com" target="_blank">'Echomaker'</a> project on the show as well as the lovely&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stathebungalowfarm.co.uk">Roderick Hector</a> with his fantastic Ruby Red Beef cattle all featuring on the BBC's Countryfile piece last Sunday.</p>
<p>If you want to watch again &nbsp;- follow this link to the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b09p1sqb/countryfile-somerset-levels" target="_blank">BBC i-player</a></p>
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</div>Tue, 16 Jan 2018 12:04:57 +0000Damon Bridge972 at http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.ukSomerset's Cranes coming to the BBC! http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/blogs/damon-bridge/somersets-cranes-coming-bbc
<p>The wonderful BBC Countryfile are covering the crane story on the Somerset Levels and Moors this coming Sunday - <strong>14th JANUARY.</strong> &nbsp;A few of us spent a wonderful day a week before Christmas with Matt Baker, Anita Rani and the crew tracking down the cranes and witnessing the creative processess of Sean Harris and Jim on Guitar! Intrigued ?....then tune in... &nbsp; <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09p1sqb" title="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09p1sqb">http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09p1sqb</a></p>
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</div>BBC Countryfile; Cranes; SomersetMon, 08 Jan 2018 13:18:09 +0000Damon Bridge970 at http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.ukHappy Christmas! http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/blogs/damon-bridge/happy-christmas
<p><img src="http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/large-450x300/Christmas%20Crane.jpg" alt="" class="imagecache-large-450x300" width="450" height="361" /></p>
<p>..And even though I realise this wish might not be to everyone's liking - Here's to a lovely wet Spring 2018 - ensuring lots of nice safe nesting areas for the reintroduced cranes on the wetlands of the South West!&nbsp;</p>
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</div>cranesSomersetTue, 19 Dec 2017 14:44:51 +0000Damon Bridge968 at http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.ukEcho-Maker EVENT 7/8 October 2017http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/blogs/damon-bridge/echo-maker-event-78-october-2017
<p><img src="http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/large-450x300/crane-community-master-3.jpg" alt="" class="imagecache-large-450x300" width="450" height="253" /></p>
<h3>Showcasing in 2017 for&nbsp;<a href="http://somersetartworks.org.uk/what-we-do/art-weeks/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Somerset Art Weeks Festival</a></h3>
<div>Projected through layers of gauze within a three-dimensional ‘magic lantern’, Echo-Maker explores in mesmerising and meditative fashion a unique and special story of birds and people – and of resilience and hope amidst turbulent times. A film about loss and return in the wetlands of the Somerset Levels and Moors; returning this autumn in the archetypal landscape that inspired it…</div>
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<p class="m_-9027546365227338571gmail-Body">Reformatted for the intimate surroundings of the Romano-British dining room at the&nbsp;<a href="https://avalonmarshes.org/explore/avalon-marshes-centre/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Avalon Marshes Centre</a>, the installation takes place amidst marshland that our ancestors – inhabitants of the nearby prehistoric lake villages of Glastonbury and Meare – shared not only with crane and bittern, but also the Great Northern Diver, Dalmatian Pelican and White-tailed Eagle.</p>
<p class="m_-9027546365227338571gmail-Body">Combining animation, live-action footage and sound recordings gathered during the course of the Cranes and Communities project in 2016, the film evokes a lost world which might, through the potent combination of science and community action, return once more – as the Great Crane Project has already so powerfully demonstrated. Our actions, no matter how small, can and do change the world for the better…</p>
<p class="m_-9027546365227338571gmail-Body">Echo-Maker is the work of artist&nbsp;<a href="http://wildboarpress.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Sean Harris</a>, commissioned by&nbsp;<a href="http://somersetartworks.org.uk/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Somerset Art Works</a>, in partnership with&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Great Crane Project</a>.</p>
<p class="m_-9027546365227338571gmail-Body"><strong><span>Come and see Echo-Maker on 7 and 8 October 2017:</span></strong></p>
<p class="m_-9027546365227338571gmail-Body">The Romano-British Dining Room,&nbsp;<a href="https://avalonmarshes.org/explore/avalon-marshes-centre/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Avalon Marshes Centre</a>, Shapwick Road, WESTHAY, BA6 9TT</p>
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</div>ArtcraneseventEventsSomersetSomerset Art WorksThu, 05 Oct 2017 11:00:19 +0000Damon Bridge959 at http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk